Afghanistan, July 22 -- Online scam networks stole an estimated $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion from victims across the Asia-Pacific region in 2025, as organised criminal groups increasingly combine technology with human trafficking, money laundering and data theft, according to a new United Nations report.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the losses linked to online scams across East and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand reached tens of billions of dollars last year, with the total estimated losses exceeding the annual economic output of several countries in the region.
The report said many of the criminal networks are predominantly linked to Chinese organised crime groups, which have expanded beyond traditional crim...